The Paving Stone Cutters

This painting is by Margaret Howard Yeaton Hoyt. It depicts a scene reminiscent of old Granite Pier

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Blood Sweat and Tears

And so it came to pass that in 1871, Elizabeth Blood, the widow of Joseph, agreed to sell the quarry and surrounding lands

to the Cape Ann Granite Company for the sum of $2,500.00. Receiving a partial payment of $800.00.

Col. Jonas French brokered the deal, and he and Gen. Ben Butler toasted each other at their great fortunes.

The Bucket List for Cape Ann Granite

As the quarries deepened the grout bucket became the fastest way in and out of quarries, if you missed the end of day whistle, you would have to scramble the long slow path back up the wooden ladders and risk being late for your dinner.

A spare grout bucket was typically kept empty at quarry edge, ready to descend in the event of an accident.

This image is of Johnson’s Quarry 1960.

Quarrymen in Suits were the real Swingers

I believe that I am looking at a steam driven swing hoist – standing on its own, its function was to control the side to side movement of the derrick boom.

Cape Ann Granite quarrying never progressed to the point of an enclosed boom derrick operator shed, from which all aspects of derrick movement and lifting could be controlled by a single Hoist Engineer who followed hand signals relayed by the Derrickman.

Forescore and….Lincoln statue in Lincoln, Nebraska

Sea Green Polished Granite from Rockport Granite Company/Bay View.

Gettysburg Address inscribed on the die placed behind the standing Lincoln

Being the photographer’s wife carries privileges…

Thanks to all of you who braved the heat and humidity to attend my talk yesterday.

I’m fairly certain that the lady at the right of the photo below is Charles Cleaves wife.

I  any case, it is the only image I have come across which shows a woman in the quarry itself!

Marco Polo Describes a Bridge….

 

 

Without the Stones there is no Arch.

Almost Make You Cry…life through rose coloured glasses

When I first published this blog item, there was comment that this must have been an altered image, the men had no gloves, and tinted glasses were not available until th elate 1920s. Well, no quarry man worth his salt ever worked wearing gloves, and below is the Mechanic’s Spectacles of 1912, available in any color lens

 

Almost make you cry…

Centered in the image below is Leonard Johnson with his full quarry crew…

Ships That Pass in The Night

Plate No. 3 from “Under the eye of the Eagle,” the major marketing and promotional package of the Rockport Granite Company.

The text reads in part: …Our vessels are constantly on the move, from port to port, with their cargo of Rockport Granite. They form a very important and economical link in the chain of processes from quarry to job.

AlongThe Parade Route to Les Bartlett’s Talk

Johnson’s Quarry Granite Bedecked with 17 American Flags!